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MegaFon, Official Mobile Operator for the 27th World University Summer Games

MegaFon is the General Partner and Official Mobile Operator for the 27th World University Summer Games. The partnership agreement was signed in 2010.

MegaFon sees the preparation of the infrastructure and provision of a reliable communication in the run up to and during the 2013 Games as its top priority; the mobile operator is currently working hard to increase the network capacity in Kazan and indoor coverage at Games venues. MegaFon is obliged to ensure that all athletes and visitors coming to Kazan for the Summer Universiade have access to advanced and efficient mobile communication and Internet technologies, most of which will be later put to use during the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

MegaFon was one of the first companies to become the General Partner for the 2013 Summer Universiade. In the run up to the major sporting event – 2013 Summer Universiade – the meeting was held between PM of the Republic of Tatarstan and Deputy Chairman of the Organising Committee for the 27th World University Summer Games in Kazan Rustam Minnikhanov, MegaFon CEO Sergey Soldatenkov and Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Vladimir Leonov. The meeting resulted in the signing of the agreement that gave MegaFon the General Partner and Official Mobile Operator for the 27th Summer Universiade status.

“The Universiade is the world university games, the second in importance only to the Olympic Games. The Universiade was held in Russia only once previously, in the summer of 1973 in Moscow. It’s such an honour for the Republic of Tatarstan to play host to the Universiade,” Rustam Minnikhanov said.

“Any large-scale sporting event like the Universiade is the country’s prestige, the idea that unites all the Russians. That’s why we have been actively supporting Russian sports for many years. In 2009 MegaFon became the General Partner of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. The Official Mobile Operator status is a heavy responsibility for the quality of communication service. We will provide access to the cutting-edge innovative technologies,” Sergey Soldatenkov remarked.

MegaFon sees the preparation of the infrastructure and provision of a reliable communication in the run up to and during the 2013 Games as its top priority. A new calling plan, called ‘Universiade’, which was released in December 2010, became the first step towards implementing the above-mentioned tasks. It is expected that students of Tatarstan’s higher education institutions, athletes and officials of the Kazan 2013 test event programme will be the first subscribers of the new calling plan. Today more than 137,000 residents of the Republic of Tatarstan already made their choice in favour of MegaFon. Special services were launched in 2011 that became major steps towards the 2013 Summer Universiade’s success. Together with the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate, MegaFon started a toll-free telephone service (8 800 550 2013) and Kazan 2013 news SMS alerts service.

Gearing up to the high-profile sporting event, MegaFon introduces new innovative projects. For example, the mobile operator developed the MeteoFon project, a pilot network of weather stations located on MegaFon’s towers, to provide accurate information about the weather. The service promises to be very useful for athletes, officials and visitors coming to Kazan for the Games.

Presently, MegaFon-Tatarstan is the first mobile operator and the most powerful network in the region that includes over 1,500 base stations. Utmost attention is given to Games venues; over 40 sports facilities of the 2013 Summer Universuade are already provided with MegaFon’s reliable communication service.

In the preparation for the upcoming Games, MegaFon has undertaken a diverse range of activities to enhance the mobile network's reliability. The conducted work resulted in a full reservation of all fiber-optic communication lines (FOCL) in Kazan. Thanks to this, in case the fiber-optic cable is damaged, MegaFon's subscribers will be immune to failures in communication networks and Internet connection. MegaFon will also act as back-up Internet-broadcaster at Games time.

The General Partner and Official Mobile Operator for the 27th Summer Universiade status means special responsibility. MegaFon’s top priority is to launch products and services that will make Kazan 2013 a truly unforgettable experience. The activities carried out in the lead up to the 27th Summer Universiade already allowed to turn it into one of the most anticipated events.

MegaFon is the all-Russian universal communications operator running its business in all segments of the telecommunications market. Established in May 2002, MegaFon became the first and the only operator with a network covering all regions of Russia. With more than 62 million active subscriber accounts, the company runs subsidiaries in Tajikistan, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It was also the first national operator to launch 3G network for commercial operation. Capitalising on its smart marketing policy, MegaFon has become the leader of mobile Internet services and the second top operator in terms of active subscribers in Russia.

Having acquired Synterra Group of Companies, one of the leading Russian backbone operators, in June 2010, MegaFon entered the market of fixed-line communication for government and corporate customers as well as fixed Broadband market.

The combined infrastructure of MegaFon and Synterra is present in all the Russian regions, forming the basis for GSM 900/1800, 3G, VSAT, IP/MPLS, NLD/ILD networks, data and call centers connected to all players of the telecommunications market.

In 2009 MegaFon received international recognition by becoming the General Partner and Official Mobile Service Provider to the 22nd Winter Olympic Games and 11th Paralympic Winter Games in 2014 in Sochi. In 2010 MegaFon was also revealed as the General Partner of the 27th Summer Universiade in Kazan.

As of October 7, 2010, the principal shareholders of MegaFon are companies of AF Telecom Holding group, TeliaSonera group and Altimo, the telecoms unit of Alfa Group.